| Strategies for Hiring the best employees |
Hitting a hole in one is a challenge. Just ask Todd Obuchowski. He was on the 116-yard, par-three, fourth hole at a course in Lawrenceville, Mass., when he hit a long drive -- a really long drive. It went over the green, onto a highway, ricocheted off the passenger side of a car, bounced back to the green and rolled into the cup for a hole in one. Hard to believe? Nancy Bachan has a divot in her car to back up his story.
So what does this story have to do with hiring? Everything. If you want to score a hole in one the next time you hire an employee, you, too, should be prepared to bounce around. In today's tight labor market, the route to great employees is nowhere near as straight and simple as it used to be. Here are some questions to help you recruit the best in today's challenging hiring environment. For more advice, check out "45 Effective Ways for Hiring Smart" by Pierre Mornell (Ten Speed Press, 1998).
Do you start the hiring process by thinking about the last person you fired? Reflecting on the pain, hassle and cost of firing someone will remind you how important it is to hire right the first time. It will motivate you to put in the time and effort the task deserves.
Do you search as broadly as you should? Remember the days when all it took to fill a position was a call to your local newspaper to place a classified ad? Times have changed. Today's successful companies plaster web sites with help-wanted ads, look world-wide for candidates and even hire employees with no training -- if they have the right personality traits. Don't handicap your effort by keeping your search too narrow.
Do you get everyone involved in the search process? Several Silicon Valley firms have begun to offer prizes to employees who lead them to talented new recruits. So should you. Hiring is too important to leave to the personnel department. Get all your personnel involved.
Do you make personal calls to the candidates you want to meet? Phone calls, remember them? That's how we used to communicate before e-mail. Revert to tradition. A short phone call can give you a feel for a candidate and his or her interest in working with you. Sure, some people don't come across well on the phone, but what you learn about the rest can spare you lots of hassle later.
Do you give candidates an interview assignment? Keep it simple, but ask potential hires to visit a store, plant, campus, office or web site before their interviews. Tell them you're interested in hearing their observations. You'll get a sense of how well they follow-through. Plus, you'll benefit from an outsider's view.
Try these tips, because unless you score talented employees, it'll be tough for you to even hit the green. |
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BOB ROSNER
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Startupjournal.com |
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